Tournament set to catch the ‘big one’

MASON — Anglers will be fishing for a cause when the third annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospital Catfish Tournament takes place at the Mason levee.

Set for Sat., Aug. 1, the tournament is being sponsored by Chenoweth Ford of Clarksburg, WV, and Pepsi. All proceeds will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in Morgantown.

Over $2,000 in cash prizes will be awarded in the tournament, according to Terry Albright, one of the event organizers. Albright said $600 will be awarded to the first place team that brings in the most weight. There will be additional team place awards, as well as cash prizes for the individual biggest cat and many other novelty categories.

Last year, 120 fishermen in 47 boats participated. Winning first place in 2014 was the team of Todd Anderson, Greg Adkins, Dylan Perkins and Noah Eblin, with a weight of 69.06 pounds.

Local businesses and WalMart business partners are providing additional cash prizes, according to Missy Warth, another tourney organizer. She added there will also be door prizes, raffles, and free food and drinks for all participants.

Pre-registration is now being accepted at Mason WalMart in the sporting goods department. The entry fee is $60 for a two-person team, and $30 for each additional team member.

Registration will also be accepted from 5 to 6:30 a.m. on the day of the tournament. Fishing will begin at 7 a.m., with weigh-in at 3 p.m. at the Stewart-Johnson V.F.W./Lottie Jenks Memorial Park.

In conjunction with the tournament, the Heaven’s Saints Motorcycle Ministry (HSMM), West Virginia Chapter, will hold a Bike Show at the park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. According to Ralph Ross, HSMM member, there is a $5 sign-up fee to enter. Proceeds from the motorcycle show will also benefit the children’s hospital.

Prizes will be given to the top bikes in five categories: American, Metric, Rat, Trike, and Best of Show. Ross said winners will be determined by popular vote from those attending.

The WVU Children’s Hospital in Morgantown is the regional referral center for children’s specialty services and high-risk pregnancies. It has the state’s only pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon and neurosurgeon, and conducts regional outreach clinics throughout the state, specializing in cardiology, endocrinology, genetics and neurology. Children from all 55 West Virginia counties are treated at the hospital, as well as children from surrounding states.

For more information on the fishing tourney, contact Albright at 740-591-2898; Warth at 304-812-4191; Shannon Cleland at 740-416-2120; or Bink Fox at 740-464-1183. For bike show information, contact Ross at 304-773-5476.